Monday, December 31, 2012

There is nothing more satisfying than being able to recognize the services of the one closest to you. It cannot be easy to be the husband of the queen, especially in addition to being the father of the petite-reine, who was 4 months old when Paul won Crown and 13 months when I stepped down.

The text was written on Dec. 30, and calligraphed Dec. 31. It reads:

To him whose life I hold dearer than my own, I recommend me to you. It is one thing to follow the pursuit of glory so that one might bring honor to the one he loves, but another thing entirely to bring praise to his beloved by stepping aside and letting glory pass. Such act of true virtue, humility, modesty, and generosity has gone not unnoticed, and equity demands that it go not unrewarded. Wherefore let these presents serve as notice to all that my privy clerk and confessor is hereby and henceforth entered into the rolls of the members of the Queen's Order of Courtesy. Written by the hand of her who is and always will be yours, on the morn before Epiphany,

Be it known to all that we king and queen of drachenwald, suzeraines of Nordmark and Insula draconis, emperors of frankmark, and margraves of the southern towers, considering the noble estate of a gentleman from Griffins Tor by the name of Lorcan Rochford and for as much as we the said King and Queen having to us full authority to all things concerning rank, nobility, and status within these our lands, we according to our said office and authority witness, ratify and attest that the said Lorcan is lineally descended of noble blood and by his actions has confirmed and affirmed that he is of high rank and station whereby it is our wish to exalt and prefer him by naming him Lord Lorcan and assigning and awarding to him all rights to such arms as he shall register with the College of Arms which are to be depicted more plainly below and forthwith charge him to consult with our heralds so as to devise suitable and unique arms for him to have and hold without let or hindrance from any man for any reason from this day henceforth in sign and token of nobleness and virtue for evermore and in perpetuity. In witness whereof we have had these presents drawn up, signed and given by the queen at Adamestor the viiith day of Decembris in the year of the society xlvii.

Paul and Aryanhwy, servants to the subject of Drachenwald, to their venerable cousin, Rainer, baron of the court of Ulfr and Caoimhe, greetings. It has in times past been ordained that a company of soldiers skilled with sword, lance, and bow be formed so that every denison of this realm be prevented from and protected from ill and that suitable new members for the furtherance of the good of the realm be made by speciall commission signed by ourselves, and this certain company is known as the Order of the Silver Guard.

Item, membership in this Order is presented to those who have distinguished themselves by chivalry and prowess at arms.

Item, the badge of the Order is a silver wristguard engraved with a dragon passant coward, maintaining a sword erect.

Item, members of the Order shall rank equally with members of the Orden des Lindquistringes and the Order of the Panache.

And whereas we the king and queen abovenamed, being credibly informed by speeches and attestations that diverse and many are the skills at arms displayed by your noble self, confirm, ratify, and announce that from this day henceforth you are a member of the abovenamed Order.

Dated at Adamestor viii Decembris, a.s. xlvii.

It is sort of based on the text I wrote for Franck vom Berg's Silver Guard, along with the text from kingdom law about the order.

Saturday, December 1, 2012

By the king and queen right worshipful and most redoubted sovereign lords of Drachenwald to our well-beloved friend Baldric Sigismund. Forasmuch as we have many certain reliable testimonies that you have been a good and faithful steward and seneschal of our lands of Griffins Tor, wherefore we are minded to make you a companion of our Orden des Lindquistringes, and all that reason or law will upon the attainment of such status we will be right glad you to have. Written at Adamestor, the 8th day of December, anno societatis xlvii.